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Deadline looms, but still no word on sale of the Riverside Press-Enterprise

Wendy Lee

Orange County Register Publisher Aaron Kushner (left) and company President Eric Spitz. Freedom Communications Holdings Inc., is the parent company of the Register. Freedom plans to purchase the Press-Enterprise newspaper in Riverside. Grant Slater/KPCC

"Freedom and A.H. Belo are finalizing the closing on The Press Enterprise acquisition by Freedom," said Freedom spokesman Eric Morgan in an e-mail to KPCC on Friday evening around 5 p.m. He did not respond to questions on whether the deadline for the sale was pushed back even further or what has caused the latest delay.

Under those terms, Freedom would have to purchase the Press-Enterprise on or before Nov. 15, or A.H. Belo could terminate the deal, according to the documents.

On Nov. 5, Freedom spokesman Eric Morgan told KPCC that the company still planned to purchase the Press-Enterprise and said "due diligence in finalizing the transaction by both parties" caused the delay beyond the original target closing date of mid-October.

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